Disclosure: I participated in this program on behalf of Jockey and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.

As a busy stay-at-home mom, I’m constantly trying to revamp my wardrobe into a fashionable and comfortable style. Pajama pants are comfy around the house but I want to wear something all day that would be acceptable running errands in. My dressier shirts and capris are more appropriate for wearing in public but they aren’t near as comfortable. Lately I’ve found a good alternative in maxi skirts and dresses. They’re crazy comfortable, cool, and they give me a “put together” look without much effort.

The downside to wearing these lovely skirts is that my legs tend to rub together a bit and that gets uncomfortable real quick. I have the perfect solution!! Jockey Skimmies® slipshorts, are the new “must-have” fashion secret for women. Slipshorts are a fabulous combination of a soft and stretchy slip in the shape of shorts. It’s very comfortable, yoga-pants comfortable. Not only do they make skirts comfortable to wear in summer but they also help smooth down unwanted bumps and bulges.

Skimmies® are NOT shapewear but they are something that is much better! They’re not constricting, bulky, or hard to put on/take off. They’re lightweight, breathable, come in a variety of fun colors, they smooth your shape, and you can even wear them in place of panties if you’d like. Rachel Zoe, celebrity stylist, is the spokesperson for Jockey Skimmies® slipshorts and was quoted as saying, “Comfort should always be glamorous, and glamour should always be comfortable.” I agree with her!

Jockey Skimmies® come in three great styles:

– Regular length

– Short length for shorter dresses

– Moisture-wicking for more active days

Just a few other great things about Jockey Skimmies

– They make sliding out of a restaurant’s booth a breeze. Your legs won’t stick this summer!

– Immodesty woes are gone! You can wear a shorter dress without fear of the wind and no matter the length you chose you won’t have to worry about irritating panty lines.

– Eliminates irritation from thighs rubbing together. Women of all shapes and sizes get this and it can be down right bothersome. Now you can wear your summer dresses all day with confidence and comfort!

– Perfect for wearing (in the color nude) under white shorts, capris, or shirts! I love white shorts in the summer but it’s difficult to find a pair that are thick enough to not reveal every detail of what’s underneath them. Skimmies® provide an extra barrier of protection!

– A smoother silhouette!

– They stay put all day without rolling down or up. You won’t even remember you’re wearing them!

My Jockey Skimmies® slipshorts are my new wardrobe secret. Well, they’re not a secret to many because I’ve told just about every woman I know about them. I truly love them and think that every woman should own a pair, or two, or ten!

Would you like to win a pair of Skimmies®? How about $5,000? I thought so. Here’s how:

Jockey and Rachel Zoe want you to Seize the Day in Skimmies® with 25 fun and glamorous daily challenges, May 27-June 20. Expand your comfort zone: Enter Here. Good luck!

This contest ends 6/20/14 at 11:59 PM EST.

Today’s challenge is to complete this phrase and write it in a piece of paper – “With Skimmies® I’m free to…” Here’s my entry:

You can also check out Skimmies® in the “Workflow” section of the upcoming August/September issue of Working Mother Magazine.

Here’s another chance for one Embracing Beauty reader to win an assortment pack of Skimmies® ($50 value):

This giveaway ends 6/17/14 at 1pm EST. If you have any questions about it please feel free to contact me. Good luck!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Jockey Skimmies® through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Jockey Skimmies®, all opinions are my own.

It was the Saturday before Easter and my kids were in bed and my husband was downstairs watching TV. I quietly sneak out a package that I bought myself. A package that I hoped would leave me looking like a million bucks for Easter morning. Out of this box I pull what’s known as shape wear but is more accurately called as a torture device. I spent a great deal of time pulling and tugging, pausing to catch my breath and reread the packaging to make sure I bought the correct size and then pulling and yanking some more. I finally got it on and I liked how it made my post-baby belly look but I hated the unflattering bulges it created. That night I vowed to never wear shape wear again and I found a new appreciation for my curves! My Easter morning attire left me feeling a little self-conscious but I was thankful to be able to breathe deeply and sit comfortably so I made my peace with it.

A few weeks later PopSugar and Jockey contacted me about reviewing their Jockey® Skimmies® slipshorts. Slipshorts are a fabulous combination of soft and stretchy slip in the shape of shorts. It’s very comfortable. Think yoga-pants-on-a-Saturday comfy. These comfy undergarments help smooth down unwanted bumps and bulges but they are not constricting like shapewear. I repeat, these are NOT shapewear – they are something much better!

Let’s review, they are comfortable and they smooth your shape to give you a lovelier silhouette.

As if that isn’t enough, here’s a list of other things these tiny woven wonders can do:

– Make sliding out of a restaurant’s booth a breeze. Your legs won’t stick this summer!

– Immodesty woes are gone! Bend over, cross your legs, let the wind blow where it may because you, my friend, are covered. Wear a skirt to the playground and go down the slide if you want. Embrace the freedom!

– Eliminates irritation from thighs rubbing together. Women of all shapes and sizes get this and it can be down right bothersome. Now you can wear your summer dresses all day with confidence and comfort!

– Smoothes down panty lines for a more modest appearance OR you could wear them in place of your panties should you choose.

– Perfect for wearing (in the color nude) under white shorts! I love white shorts in the summer but it’s difficult to find a pair that are thick enough to not reveal every detail of what’s beneath them. These will provide an extra barrier of protection and a smoother silhouette to boot!

– They stay put all day without rolling down or up. You won’t even remember you’re wearing them!

Before trying these I was happy with my lace waisted short skirt but now I don’t think I’ll ever wear it again. I want a pair of Skimmies® in every color! Why not have a smoother silhouette every time I wear a skirt or dress? I’m not sacrificing comfort and I’m gaining an extra bit of modesty.

I’m a fan and I hope you’ll give them a try and love them as much as I do!

I’m sure most of you have heard of Origami Owl before, but on the off chance you haven’t I’ll give you a brief overview. The company was founded by Bella Weems when she was only 14 years old. She developed the concept of the “Living Lockets” as a way to raise money to buy her first car. Her idea soon blossomed into a nationwide jewelry trend and a business opportunity for women of all ages (14 years +). Origami Owl products are available for retail purchase, by hosting a home or online jewelry bar or you can get free jewelry by joining the Orgiami Owl sales team. The company’s motto is “Be a force for good.”

Don’t you just love that story? I sure do! A young entrepreneur wanted to make the world a little more beautiful through her jewelry and earn herself her first car. I’m so proud of her! I love her story almost as much as I love her jewelry. Almost.

Christina, an Origami Owl representative contacted me about reviewing a Living Locket. She sent me the locket of my choice and three charms that I also chose. It took me the longest time to decide which ones I wanted! There is such a variety and so many possible combinations! Here’s a look at my locket:

After much deliberation I chose the gold locket and chain. To go inside the locket I chose a tiny pearl,a rose, and a sparrow. Each of these pieces have a different significance to me and I think they look lovely together.

Here’s a close up view of the necklace. The locket opens just like you would expect a locket to giving me a quick way to add other charms I may purchase later or a metal plate to cover the back panel of the locket. I guess I could even add a tiny picture to the locket if I wanted to…but I probably won’t. I like it just like this! For now anyway.

Can I be honest and tell you something that surprised me about these lockets? The price – it is so low! My locket was $20, my chain was $12, and each charm was only $5. $47+ tax for an incredibly personalized piece of jewelry. That’s unbelievable! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want them to raise the price or anything but don’t be fooled by the low price, these lockets are well made.

These lockets would be a great gift for nearly any occasion! Birthday, anniversary, graduation, Christmas, bridal, or a new mom gift! There are so many occasions that this would be a perfect gift for. Hint, if you’re reading this sweet husband, I like the Vintage section of the charms.

Recently, you may have noticed that my site, this site, was down. If you have any anti-virus/malware software at all you were notified when visiting EmbracingBeauty.com that it had been infected with malware and you had the option to exit or proceed anyway. It was a nightmare! I contacted my designer who is fabulous but in a totally different time zone and unable to help me asap. I panicked and read and read all I could read about malware. For hours. I finally contacted someone who was able to help me out in a hurry for a relatively small fee. Hooray, my online life was saved!

While reading all about malware I found out that my website could have been infected if my computer was infected. I didn’t know that before and this news was worrisome. I think I had up-to-date software but to be honest I really wasn’t sure. By the way, did you know that outdated software {like Adobe, iTunes, Java, Skype, etc.} is one of the most common causes of an infection? I didn’t either! I did some more investigating and I learned about another anti-malware/spyware software, VIPRE Internet Security.

I downloaded the free version of VIPRE and I was pleased right away. It didn’t drag down my system like other programs I’ve used. Plus, this software incorporates both anti-spyware and anti-virus functionalities in one program. The traditional, easy to follow, user interface was refreshing. It spoke my language and I could easily figure out how to get it set up and running without the help of my husband. That scored big points in my book! The program also has a neat feature where it keeps me updated on the present threat levels using real-time capabilities. I’m in love!

So, okay, I realize that no anti-malware/spyware/virus/other-bad-stuff program is able to ensure total protection and recovery but with VIPRE I think it comes pretty close. So far so good anyway! My system has been running dramatically faster and given the program’s fancy technology I can rest easy {for now} and not have to lift a finger. It’s catching and neutralizing any threats before I even knew there were any.

Oh! This may be my favorite part – the company offers free tech {and malware removal} support for all virus/malware program related matters. Isn’t that awesome? I currently own the free-trial of the basic VIPRE home package but the company also offers an unlimited home option, which allows you to cover all systems that you currently own. I think I may have stumbled upon a great thing. It’s an effective, free, helpful addition to my home office. If you don’t want to take my word for it {because I’m admittedly not a tech person!} check out the free version for yourself. Go to vipreantivirus.com and once you give it a look over, let me know what you think of it!

My little toy reviewer was recently given the opportunity to try out the new KidsII Count & Discover Treasure Chest from Baby Einstein. All in all, we loved this toy.

Its bright colors, blinking lights, and fun music keep my girl entertained for a long time. Since receiving this toy she has played with it every day! I mentioned already that it has music but it has peppy, upbeat music that is fun for kids but not annoying for adults. There is a good variety to the songs it plays and that is extremely important to me!

When you insert the coins into the chest it will say the color of the coin, the shape on it, or it will count the number of coins inside. It can speak in English, French, and Spanish. What a fun way to introduce little ones to a new language!

The only thing we didn’t like about the toy is that it’s top heavy and won’t open fully. Because it closes easily fingers have been pinched more than once. I understand that there is extra weight to the top because of the technology behind the flashing lights and audio but I think this toy could be improved if the lid would open all the way. That’s just my opinion though! As I said before, all in all, we loved this toy and are very happy with it!

Maybe it’s just me but I hate laundry. I don’t mind the task so much as the fact that it’s never, ever, ending. Because this is a task that I’ll do over and over again for the rest of my life I want to use products and machines that make this job as easy as possible. As a busy mom I don’t have time to soak, wash, and repeat. I want a dependable and quiet washing machine that gets the job done and I want a detergent that gets stains out the first time.

When I first married I soon learned that my husband has very sensitive skin and could only use one brand of detergent. That brand got the job done but unfortunately it’s one of the more expensive brands and often I had to soak stains before I washed them. When Mom Central contacted me about doing a review for Arm & Hammer laundry detergent I immediately thought there was no way that I could do it without writing a negative review because I was sure it would make my husband’s skin react. Then I noticed that it was for Arm & Hammer’s new Sensitive Skin Plus Skin-Friendly Fresh Scent laundry detergent. Yes! Finally a brand that I love has made a laundry detergent perfect for my family.

I was still nervous that it wouldn’t be sensitive enough but I gave it a try anyway. I made sure not to tell my husband that I was switching so that it wouldn’t be in his head and would be a fair review. One day went by, two went by, and I hadn’t heard a thing. Then one morning he asked me if I did something different to the laundry. I gasped. I was nervous! Immediately I felt a wave of guilt rush over me for making my husband become a guinea pig for my little experiment. They he said, “It smells better!” I breathed a huge sigh of relief! Success! I proudly revealed my new bottle of Arm & Hammer laundry detergent and apologized for making him an unknowing test subject.

We’ve used Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin Plus Skin-Friendly Fresh Scent laundry detergent for two weeks now and I’ll be honest, I love it! I think it’s better at getting stains out, it has a light fresh scent my husband loves, and it’s an affordable detergent. I would recommend it to anyone! Plus, Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin Plus Fresh Scent laundry detergent is specially formulated to work with both standard and high efficiency (HE) washers. You can get additional information at the Arm & Hammer website and you can keep up with them on the Arm & Hammer Facebook page.

“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Arm & Hammer and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

When I hear the name Banana Boat I immediately think of their Dark Tanning Oil that I used for many years. I loved the stuff! My mother has never believed in sunscreen. Sure she would put it on me as a kid as I cringed and complained {I hated that greasy feel!} but every year after I got a tan she didn’t see any need for it. I kept this idea until I married my husband who has a history of melanoma in his family. He’s very cautious of the sun…and rightly so!

Since we’ve been married I’ve pretty much avoided the sun. My husband is a fan of Banana Boat’s spray on sunscreen. I admit that it’s handy in that it’s quick to apply and I can take it with us on an outing and not have to worry about it leaking in my bag. Honestly though, I’ve never tried it. I keep hearing my mom’s voice talking about the negative effects of sunscreen.

Now that summer is here and I need sunscreen for my little girl I’ve been reading labels like a mad woman. Researching words I can’t pronounce. All in hopes of finding a safe sunscreen for her sensitive skin. When Mom Central approached me about a campaign for Banana Boat I was all on board! Get it? All on board? Ha!

I was not only able to research Banana Boat’s new Sunscreen Natural Reflect Lotion but also try it out myself. Banana Boat said that this lotion “contains 100% naturally-sourced mineral sunscreens with proven protection against sunburn and prevention against long-term skin damage”. Sounds pretty great, right? They have a sunscreen formula for adults, children, and babies.

Banana Boat didn’t just give me a bottle of sunscreen, I was given enough supplies to host a Banana Boat party! We enjoyed a cookout with our friends; we chatted while the kids played in the pool, tossed a Frisbee, hit a t-ball, played in the sprinkler, and played with bubbles. They had a blast and we could rest assured that they were safe from the sun!

Banana Boat doesn’t want people hiding indoors {like I was doing}! To get families out and playing together they’ve created a fun 101 Days of Summer Play activity guide. If you go to Banana Boat’s Facebook page you can pledge to play and download their activity guide. To learn more about the Banana Boat brand you can visit www.bananaboat.com.

My thoughts:

I’ll admit I was very hesitant to try to the sunscreen because I had awful flashbacks to the goopy film, also known as sunscreen, that my Mom would put on me as a kid. I have to say that this new Banana Boat wasn’t bad! It took longer to rub in than regular lotion but I suppose that’s normal of any sunscreen. After a few minutes I couldn’t remember I had put it on! My little girl doesn’t mind it and my husband gives it his approval. If you’ve tried it already, what are your thoughts?

If you haven’t tried it yet, how would you like to?

Banana Boat Giveaway:

One lucky Embracing Beauty winner will receive a Banana Boat kit! To enter fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!a Rafflecopter giveaway

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of BananaBoat® Sun Care and received a party kit to facilitate my review, party kits to give to my guests, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Hi, I’m Ashley!

I'm a stay at home mom to one adorable little girl and I have the most amazing husband! We're a typical family that struggles with finances, priorities, and all the other challenges that life throws our way. I’m passionate about glorifying God and making the most of each and every day here on earth. Read more